The Delhi High Court, while hearing the bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others accused in the larger conspiracy of the 2020 Delhi riots, cautioned the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) for the Delhi Police about the lengthy proceedings.
The court emphasised that the matter needed to reach a conclusion promptly.
A division bench comprising Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur reiterated the urgency of the case during Tuesday's hearing. The bench instructed SPP Amit Prasad to submit a detailed chart outlining the individual roles of each accused in the case.
SPP Prasad requested two additional days to present further arguments and compile the chart. However, Justice Chawla firmly remarked that the court could not allow indefinite time for such submissions, stating that bail applications require timely resolution.
The court noted that while the trial court provided petitioners with six months for arguments, the time granted for the prosecution was significantly shorter. Nevertheless, the judges stressed that the hearings could not continue indefinitely, urging the SPP to expedite the process.
The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, appearing via video conferencing, also pledged to conclude his arguments swiftly.
However, when he attempted to revisit previous points, Justice Chawla interrupted, stating that the submissions had already been wrapped up and the matter needed to move forward.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for February 12.
During the session, SPP Amit Prasad referred to speeches allegedly delivered by Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid. He quoted Sharjeel Imam urging people to prepare for protests, mentioning strategies for enduring physical confrontations and organising roadblocks.
He highlighted Imam’s alleged calls for a "chakka jam" in Delhi, stressing its potential impact on the city’s infrastructure and daily life.
The prosecutor also referenced Imam’s speech in which he purportedly encouraged students to mobilise and sensitise local communities. He mentioned an awareness campaign led by the Jamia Awareness Campaign Team, which allegedly involved door-to-door outreach efforts.
SPP Prasad further claimed that Imam expressed opposition to left-leaning student groups from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) joining protests at Shaheen Bagh, describing the venue as an Islamic platform.
He also cited Imam’s alleged remarks about disrupting connectivity to Assam, describing it as a form of resistance against perceived government arbitrariness.
In addition, SPP Prasad read parts of a speech allegedly delivered by Umar Khalid in Seelampur. According to the prosecution, Khalid reportedly referred to the collection of weapons for the protests.
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